SD Loyal SC fall to Tijuana Xolos 1-0
Credit: Xolos
The San Diego Loyal couldn’t get a goal against the Liga MX side, the Tijuana Xolos.
The highly anticipated international friendly turned out to be a tough match for the Loyal, although every player got a chance to play in the loss.
Manager Landon Donovan issued his usual starting 11 with a 4-5-1 formation.
Austin Guerrero started in goal for his second start of the season. Donovan would later substitute the entire 11 off for a brand new squad. Most of the second-half players were from the Academy, while others like Sal Zizzo, Antony Siaha, and Jordan Chavez got a chance to play after not playing much this season.
The first half started out hot on both sides, as each team would try and get the early lead. San Diego played their usual style, taking it slow and finding the gaps in the defense. Midfielder Miguel Ibarra was all over the place in the first half, and seemed to have formed great chemistry with forward Corey Hertzog. Ibarra and Hertzog connect with each other multiple times throughout a match, leading to multiple goals the past few matches.
The Xolos scored the one and only goal in the 34th minute. It was shortly off a corner kick, midfielder Collin Martin had a chance to clear the ball, but instead the Xolos found the back of the net.
Gol de Iván López al 34′ ¡Vamos por más! 💪 #PuroTijuas #HechoEnTijuana pic.twitter.com/YB2DLSjMaG
— Xolos (@Xolos) July 11, 2021
After that goal, most of the action seemed to have halted for the rest of the match.
The second half provided much needed experience for both sides. The Xolos are preparing for the season opener a few weeks away, and played a majority of their roster. The Loyal had many new faces and unexperienced players during the second half. That didn’t stop them for giving 100% effort and playing in a professional match for the very first time.
Regardless of the outcome, the atmosphere at Torero Stadium was electric once again! It was a huge turnout as fans from Mexico and San Diego all came to support their local clubs.
Quite the turnout for this international friendly 🇺🇸🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/zFDlr3Unqu
— Chris Spiering (@ChrisSpiering) July 11, 2021
The Loyal will host Orange County SC on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the second matchup between the two clubs this season, as they finished in a 1-1 draw last time out.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris is also an athlete and is huge fan of San Diego sports. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and contributes regularly about the Padres.